We're off for the ZOOLIGHTS thing up at the Lincoln Park Zoo tonight, an outing which has become something of a New Years' tradition for us over the past several years. I seem to recall that it was reasonably pleasant out there last year, but way cold the year before. What's nice about that (aside from being free but for the inevitable treats/rides) is that it's over by 9pm, which works to The Girls' (and, frankly, The Wife's) bedtime scheduling. What's not nice about it (this year, at least) is that the Bears/Packers game starts right in the middle of that. Oh, well ... I guess I'll tape the game and have some idea of whether or not I want to watch.
It is going to be insane down on the lakefront tonight, though ... they have fireworks at Navy Pier at 7pm (just before the 7:15pm kick-off of the Bears game), then the 60,000 or so folks will be leaving the stadium somewhere around 11pm, no doubt sticking around for the dual fireworks displays (synched to the same music, but about a mile apart), the official City one down in Grant Park and the midnight reprise of the Navy Pier show. We were at one point thinking of trying to get The Girls down to Navy Pier for the 7pm show, but figured it would be better to just go do the Zoo.
I guess we'll know by game-time whether the Packers still have a chance at a playoff spot (with the Giants winning yesterday, they were down to having to have a list of about six other games go a particular way for them to get in via assorted tie-breakers if they beat The Bears). There isn't all that much riding on this game otherwise, aside from the fact that if The Bears win, they'll only be the fourth team since the NFL/AFL merger to sweep their conference (two of the other three being the '72 Dolphins with their perfect season, and the '85 Bears who only lost to the Dolphins). Of course "beat the Packers" was the #1 item on Lovie Smith's to-do list when he was introduced as coach, so there is that factor in play too.